The porcupine is the only animal with quills. It likes to eat deciduous, coniferous, and other mixed forest foods. Its
range is most of Canada, western U.S. to Mexico and northern part of Eastern U.S. It’s only really predator is the fisher
and martin. In Wisconsin fisher were actually introduced back into the state to help control the porcupine. Forestry officials
were afraid that the animal was destroying to many trees.
They are active year round and are a very timid animal. They do not "throw their quills wend confronted. Rather
they swing their tail at the attacker trying to land the sharp weapons. The quills must be drawn out of the sore victim otherwise
the barbed quills will work into the body and eventually hit a vital organ. There is a case that a wolf was found dead and
it was found that a quill work it’s way into the wolf’s body and hitting the heart. The quills will fester and
cause the area to swell up. My German shorthaired got a nose full of quills and his nose swell up twice the size. The dog
generally must be taken to the vet to remove all of the quills.
The porcupine has about 30,000 quills and long claws for climbing. It is a slow moving animal that waddles
when it walks. This much misunderstood animal will not attack if let alone.
